Golf ball retriever



July 24, 1951 c. .1. @BERG GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Filed March 28, 1946 Patented July 24, 195

UNITED STATES PATENT t OFFICE 2,561,815 p GOLF BALL nn'rnrnvnn" cart I. osera. staten Island, N. Y.

Application* lVIarch 28, 1946,V SerialI No; 657,681

This-invention' relates.. to. sporting' goods; and1 in. particular to` a. dev-ice tol facilitate the recovery off golf balls or the like-:from ponds,. ditches. or.

otherwise inaccessible places.v

. lt is a particular. object of the invention'lte` provide. a simple; inexpensive golf club,L accessory;` by means otwhiclr the golf club; itselt` may be:

used to retrieve theaball.

It is another objectiof the invention to. provide" an accessoryV which` fitsA removably'` upon,` the headxoffthefclubl and which provides anreeeptegole-within which. to` pick'` up a golf: ball.

l\ It isla further.y obljectnof the. inventionsto` pro-v vide a golf` club` accessory as aforesaid which. will nottdamage the: head of: the club, anni` whichY out the use of permanent fastenings or perV manent attachment toL the club:

It" is still another objectot the invention toA provide a device forretrievfing golf balls, said device being readily attachable-toV the head'of augolffclub` and self; conforming to the curvature or angular shape of the club head.

In' apresentlypreferred form, the invention comprises a cup-like pocket formed of a single piece of preferably-` hard-drawn-wi're The ex txsexrnitiess of the` piece' formM two hoch?` portions which may fit over the upper edge of a golf club' head, particularly at golng iron... interrupted peripheral rim of the cup portion extends behind the'hook members to provide a springsh'oulderor support opposing the" hooks, and against which the lower edge'of theclub` head rests;` The head is firmly vgripped between the hooks' and the" rim of the cup.

` A further featureof the presently preferred embodiment of the invention resides in thex provision of'means for maintaining a fixed spacing for-`A the respectivey hooi:l members. Said `spacing means may comprise a'rigid web'. having tubular end portions through which. the hook members pass. One of the said/,hook members may be flxedly secured to the spacer, whereas the other hook passes slidably through the spacer end, thus providing for a longitudinal displacement of one hook with respect to the other to be self-adjusting with respect to the usual angularity of the upper edge of the golf club with respect to the lower edge or foot thereof.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter be described.

4 Glaims.v (Cl. 294-19) tensions lf3; M iss maintained: by a spacerghavlfr In the accornpam'ingy drawings: f .l l Fig. l. is a. perspectivevi'ew showing the heart of a golfclub withfaz'preferred form. of the invensr tion mounted thereon;

Fig1 2: is a sectiony taken'` on.lines\2-2Loi; Eigand Figs. 3 and 4 are perspectiveviews `Qiiotherv embodiments. of: thea invention.` l

Referring: tov the drawings',y the.: balltretrie. ken' in the embodimentshewnin Fig. `laconsists prefs-- erably of a. singlel strandt :of: l relativelyl hard, stiiff wire:` bent to form ai pair' onhoolnzportinns,|102;` lili and arr open. cup portion'. lli. The extensions I3, M` ot the: respectiverhooksarezdisposedl in;

.l frontrof the4 peripheral; spring'. portion. l5. otthe cup,` which is primarrlythe. clamping spring of; the device'. The hook extensions arelth'emseives; biased to `rest tightlyandi `resiliently.: against. the: peripheral spring 115i. l l 1 g All open spaces; imthe bottom?. `of the: cup nare of course smaller than .golf-ball'. size:

ildvantage'ouslyr the. spacing between .the ex-f ingf a web. lilrandllsleeves liandl 192. @nelolithe extensions; suclr as 441,; isuwel'ded.; or zotlervvisc:` xedl'v` seturedlwithin: thel sleeve; lib.` Whereas the other. extension isaslidable within .its associatedl sleeveldliy Suc'lr..constructioni makes iti` possible@ for one hook: to shift; relative te: the: other` tota,- positionl above on below theopposite hook mem-pv ber and thus accommodate variant angles of; slope of. the top `edge andlthe: `solei or rlmvermost edge off: agol club: iron.. as.` appears: in llfigyZ.k

The. normal spacingbetween the hooks and the# spring member` l5 is substantially less than-ther height. of blade ofthe usualazgolt club iron. l

Inuse the device is affixed to the head:` Ilfoii the golf: clubi `a'swshorv/n.1hr 2;. by:` engagingfthe. hoollaY members with; vthequpperl edge `of the headi pressing: the Vperipherah member downwardlyfmo accommodate:y thetwidthroffrthe head, and then snapping saidiperipherall member beneath; the sole: of. the club.l head; Because ofthe inherent stiffness n.off the spring; materialandfthe normal' or relaxed spacing betweenthe h-ooksandaspring I5; thel spring ilexes downwardly; andthelheadi is firmly graspedE on clamped: between the hooks and the spring. The club may safely be used for retrieving a ball from a pond, ditch, or other inaccessible place without danger of loss of the device.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the retriever compri-ses a stamped metal or molded plastic cup portion 20 which may be slightly greater than a quarter sphere. Riveted or otherwise securely secured to the cup are the springable rods 2|, 22, which respectively terminate in hooks 23, 24, and secured to the upper rim of the cup and extending about the rear of the hook rods is a spring '25, which may be a Wire or band of spring material, or a relatively stiff coil spring. When a coil spring is used, as shown in Fig. 3, a butt block 26 or equivalent may be threaded thereon.` The butt block appears to be advantageous' in providing a flat or shouldered surface which grips the sole of certain types of golfing irons.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 is applied in substantially the same way as that previously described. If the spacing between the hook and the normal positioning cf the coil spring is substantially less than the width of the club head, so that upon application of the device to the club head, the club head will be clamped between the hook members 23, Y24 and the spring 25. The butt block 26 forms a clamping jaw which also offers a rm base against which the club head is pressed. In the device-of Fig. 3, the hook-rod spacer may be eliminated, as desired. The relative lself adjustability of the spring 25 makes the device readily conformable to the slope of the club head surfaces.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 the retriever 3D is advantageously made from a single metal stamping, and can be stainless steel, phosphor bronze or other springable material. Extending upwardly from the rear of the relatively deep cup portion 3l is aback plate 32 which is preferably bifurcated tov provide for a pair of hooks 33, 34. Extending as a continuation of the rim of the cup portion are arms 35, 36 which may advantageously be twisted at their ends to form the relatively at spring portions 31, 38. Each said spring portion preferably terminates in a hook or club receiving portion 40.

The Fig. 4 embodiment is applied in substantially the same manner as has been previously means and the sole-engaging portion of said described. The vrelaxed spacing between the opposed upper and lower hook portions is considerably less than the Width of the golf club blade, whereupon the retriever may be firmly clamped between the respective hooks. 'I'he individual springs 31 and 38 allow the self adjustability` which is desirable to accommodate the relative angles of the upper and lower edges of the golf club blade. -It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive ball retriever which may be easily clamped on the blade of a golfing iron. to permit the club itself to be used to retrieve a golf ball from a pond, ditch or otherwise inacessi ble place. The club handle, as well as the hand of the user, does not get wet'when the Adevice is used for retrieving a ball from a water hazard and hence there is no discomfort for the user and no possibility of water damage to the handle or the `wrapping or grip portion thereof.

-' `.Although the invention has been described by making a full Vdetailed reference to the certain presently preferred embodiments, such detail of description is to be understood in an instructive rather than a limiting sense,.many changes bespring means being substantially less than the height of said club head, whereby said head may be clamped between the hook means and the sole engagement portion -of said spring means.

2. A golf ball retriever to be removably clamped to the head of a golf club, comprising a cup portion to receive the ball, spaced hook portions extending upwardly from said cup portion andlengageable with the upper edge of said club head. and a spring member forming a portion of the. rim of the cup and extending rearwardly of and beneath and around said hook portions, said spring member being engageable with the sole: of said head and in such position,fbeing spring-g biased in the direc-tion of said hook portions..

3. A device of the class described comprising a single piece of spring wire formed to provide an open cup, spaced hook members extending up. wardly from the rear of said cup and a peripheral spring member defining the ,rimV of the cup and extending transversely across said hook members at Vthe rear thereof; and a rigid spacer securedr between said hook members to maintain a desired space relationship thereof.

4. A device of the class described comprising a single piece of spring wire formed tov provide a cup portion and members extending therefrom and terminating in hook means, a spring disposed beneath said hook means, and a spacer engageable with Athe respective hook members for maintaining a fixed space relationship of said hook, members, at least one of said hook members -being in slidable engagement with respect to` saidl spacer.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date K, 426,529 Ferguson Apr. 29, 1890` Y 825,332 Mack July 10, 1906.- 1,431,966 McDermott oct. 17, 19.22, 1,439,302 Erickson Dec. 19, 1922y 1,759,622 Kenney May- 20, 1930 2,125,768 lChristensen Aug. 2, 1938 2,432,906 Klingler Deepie, 1947v 2,448,664 Williams Sept. 7,1948

FOREIGN PATENTS f Number Country Date 216,731 Great Britain June 5, 1924 CARL `I. OBERG. 

